The present invention relates to a lining for the cover of an airbag.
Nowadays, airbags are integrated into motorvehicles at various locations, e.g., in steering wheels, dashboards, doors, seats, interior roof linings, etc. The best solution for ensuring the proper function of the airbag consists of providing the lining for the cover of the airbag with a so-called airbag documentation seam in the region of the hinged airbag cover. This ensures that the hinged airbag cover can open in an unobstructed fashion and that the airbag can unfold in case of a crash.
For reasons of optical appearance and interior design, motor vehicle manufacturers increasingly demand, for example, that the passenger airbag integrated into the dashboard is covered on the outer side such that it is no longer visible. This is achieved by providing the dashboard with the hinged airbag cover integrated therein with a lining. However, this lining needs to be provided with a weakening in the peripheral region of the hinged airbag cover in order to ensure that the hinged airbag cover can open and the airbag can unfold in case of a crash. Various methods have been proposed for realizing this weakening of the lining. For example, linings consisting of leather or imitation leather can be scribed on the rear side in order to weaken the material. In other known methods, the lining material is dissolved, eroded or evaporated with chemical means or a laser beam. EP 1 21 193 A1 proposes to perforate the lining. In order to conceal the perforations on the visible side, the openings are filled in again after they are produced.
If the lining material is weakened by means of scribing, it is disadvantageous that the notch gapes if a deep incision is produced. Since the lining is subjected to significant temperature fluctuations inside the motor vehicle, the notch also becomes visible on the outer side of the lining over time. However, the tearing characteristics are negatively influenced if the depth of the incision is reduced.
Methods in which the lining material is chemically dissolved or evaporated with the aid of a laser beam are not suitable for natural materials such as leather. The edges of the evaporated, dissolved or eroded regions harden and/or compress under climatic effects. The thusly produced hardened/compressed regions become clearly visible on the outer side of the lining over time.
With respect to the perforating method, in which the perforations subsequently need to be filled in again, it is disadvantageous that the perforations can only be produced in the unfinished state of the leather. In this case, it is inconvenient that the lining needs to be returned to the finishing shop after the perforations are produced therein.